Fuel cells are power generation devices which convert chemical energy of fuel into electric energy within fuel cell stacks by electrochemical reaction instead of converting fuel into heat by burning. The fuel cells may be used as power supplied to homes, industrial facilities, and used for powering vehicles. Particularly, a fuel cell may be used for supplying power to mobile devices.
Among all types of vehicles, fuel cell vehicles generate electric energy by reacting hydrogen and oxygen. The generated electric energy is used for powering vehicles by driving motors thereof. Alternatively, the generated electric energy is connected to an external power supplying network so that the electric energy is used for supplying power to homes or offices, or to other facilities.
When electric energy generated in the fuel cell stacks is used for driving the vehicles, heat generated in the fuel cell stacks while the power is generated in the stacks has to be removed. In addition, heat generated in electric components such as a motor, an inverter, a convertor, etc., and which are used for driving the vehicle, has to be also removed.
In a conventional cooling system for a fuel cell vehicle, a fuel cell (stack) cooling system and an electric component cooling system are configured independently. The fuel cell (stack) cooling system cools down fuel cell stacks by using a cooling pump with a high voltage to circulate a coolant. The electric component cooling system cools down a motor control unit (MCU), a motor, a convertor, etc. by driving a cooling pump with a low voltage.
In addition, since both of the systems are independently configured, respective radiators are configured independently as well. Thus, a remaining space between the radiators cannot be utilized; cooling loops become long; and cooling packages become complex. In addition, since cooling loops are respectively configured, it is not possible to control two systems by mutually interlocking. Thus, two systems are simply controlled by respective sequences thereof.
The foregoing is intended merely to aid in the understanding of the background of the present invention, and is not intended to mean that the present invention falls within the purview of the related art that is already known to those skilled in the art.